Lindsey Stirling – Orpheum Theater – Minneapolis MN – December 7th 2017

Hennepin Theater Trust present Lindsey Stirling warmer in the Winter tour.

Being a classically trained musician is always respectable, but it takes a little extra something to make that translate into mainstream music. Sometimes it requires carving out your own niche, which Lindsey Stirling has done masterfully. She has effectively reignited interest in the violin by swapping it in-place  of the lead voice on a broad selection of well known songs. While this has been a winning concept for her, what really has elevated Stirling’s popularity is unrivaled big production, high energy performances that just keep getting better with every tour.

Her “Warmer in the Winter Christmas Tour” attracted a capacity crowd at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, MN on December 7th. Stirling worked her way through some holiday season classics with a live band, choreographed dance numbers, Disney like stage setup and a handful of outfit changes. A lucky group of student musicians from South West Highschool also got to sit in as part of the band, which added a nice dynamic of hometown pride.

The show had some laughs built in, particularly during a medley where she and her band sat on the stage and performed samplings of “Jingle Bells”, “Santa Baby” and “Santa Got Run Over by a Reindeer” on mini instruments. There were also serious moments like when she spoke of some life experiences leading into a captivating version of “Hallelujah”. Overall though, the mood was festive with some standouts moments during “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies” and “Silent Night”.

The show opener “Alexander Jean” had extra significance as it is a husband wife duo featuring Mark Ballas, who was Stirling’s partner for her recent second place finish on Dancing With the Stars Season 25.

Review and photos by Patrick Dunn